b'WAYS TO PRAY THE SCRIPTURES WITH CHILDRENVOCAL PRAYEROne of the first, most comfortable ways of praying for children is to pray a familiar prayer aloud. The Lords Prayer is one of our most beloved scriptural prayers (see Matthew 6:913). The Book of Psalms also presents many familiar prayers, such as Psalm 25. The Canticles of Hannah (found in 1 Samuel 2:110) and Mary (found in Luke, chapter 1) also offer prayers rooted in Scripture for children to pray, alone or with others.SPONTANEOUS PRAYERVocal prayer may be spontaneous, with the children free to choose their own words to address God. After discussing or reflecting on a particular Scripture story, invite the children to pray freely using the given Scripture story or passage as their inspiration. Often it is helpful to give children a simple prompt or a few words to help them get started.MEDITATION ON SCRIPTUREIn meditation, children are invited to use their imagination to reflect on Gods Word. Meditative prayer is particularly effective with children at the fourth-grade level and older, as it often involves more abstract thinking. For example, many prayer leaders begin meditative prayer by asking participants to relax the body, clear the mind, and breathe deeply. Then, children might be guided into a meditation where they are asked to imagine Moses and the burning bush, Jesus walking on water, or another of many stories that lend themselves to meditative prayer. Through guided meditation, children have the opportunity not only to use their imaginations but also to be more attuned to Gods message in stillness and quiet.26 Inspire!Winter 2020'